Five parties yet to give names for committee on electoral reforms

ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday nominated members for the committee Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms, a step towards making the committee functional, while five parties are yet to nominate their members.The two major opposition parties – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – are yet to nominate their members for the important parliamentary committee that had been established through a resolution of the National Assembly two weeks back. From the opposition side, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) nominated their members for this committee, whereas one of the government’s allies, JUI-F of Fazlur Rahman nominated its members.The PML-N has nominated Senator Ishaq Dar, MNAs Anusha Rahman, Abdul Qadir Baloch, Hakeem Baloch, Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Zahid Hamid and Dr Tariq Fazl Chaudhry to represent it in the electoral reforms committee. MQM nominated MNAs Dr Farooq Sattar, SA Iqbal Qadri and Senator Col (r) Tahir Hussain Mashhadi to represent the party on the committee. The JI nominated its parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Sahibzada Tariqullah on this committee and ANP nominated Senator Haji Mohammad Adeel.The JUI-F nominated Senator Talha Mahmood and MNA Naeema Kishwar. About the PPP’s nominees in the parliamentary committee, leader of opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurhseed Shah said on Tuesday that his party would make the nominations shortly. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq also stated on Tuesday that five political parties have yet to give the names for this committee and as soon as the names from all sides come, the committee would start working immediately.The 33-members parliamentary committee would work for suggesting ways to improve the electoral system of the country and remove the shortcomings that triggered the objections and protests by various political parties. PTI, which is up in arms against the government for alleged rigging in May 2013 general elections, also endorsed the parliamentary committee’s formation when assembly passed the resolution, but it is yet to give nominate its members.